Has The Band Actually Worked For You?

[laralen02 38]

1. Banded 3/7/12

2. I want to lose 145lbs total to reach a normal BMI

3. I have lost 43lbs, and 18.5in from various places. I feel so much healthier, and I'm actually enjoying the exercise--building alot of muscle to stimulate my metabolism!

4. I would rate the band a 10 so far. I feel like my weigh loss is slow, but when I really think about it, it's pretty fast!

[bigenuff 302]

P.S.I had one fill.not because I thought I needed it cuz I didn't think I did.but really wanted to know what the difference wAs.I refused my 2nd fill last week.I'm losing 1-2 lbs a week and I'm ok with that.the band is a 10 in my book.

[fluffygurl24 2]

Banded since 3/20/12

goal 65 lbs

Lost 21 lbs

On a scale of 1 - 10 I would have to say about an 8 so far

[AmberK 5]

1. How long have you been banded? 1 year 9 months

2. How much weight did want to lose? 130 lbs

3. How much weight have you lost? 68 lbs but have gained 20 back because my band slipped.

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated) 1. I had a really rough start with the band and wound up changing doctors after surgery because my 1st doctor was horrible with fills. Found a new doctor got on track with fills and was losing weight until October 2011 when I started having severe reflux and throwing most everythign up. Went to the doctor and my pouch was streteched. Took it easy for a while going back to mushies for several weeks and then to solid foods and then the cycle would start over again. Went to the doctor in March and I was diagnosed with a slipped band. Im currently scheduled for removal surgery tomorrow and will be revising to a gastric sleeve. Im very much looking forward to not throwing up food and not having reflux like I was having.

[Humming Bird 274]

1. How long have you been banded? since July 2009

2. How much weight did want to lose? in the beginning.......114 lbs

3. How much weight have you lost? Lost 100 lbs in the first year .....112 total lost.

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

I am elated give it a 20!

Taking off all the weight took very little effort on my part. The band is the only thing I have found that really works!

[Cocoabean 430]

1. How long have you been banded?

4.5 years

2. How much weight did want to lose?

Enough to get rid of high blood pressure and cholesterol, and help pre-diabetes. Wanted to become normal-weight. Did not have specific number in mind. Successful on all counts.

3. How much weight have you lost?

About 75 lbs give or take, depending on the day.

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

I give it a 9. It is totally awesome, but it has its downside. Getting stuck is not fun, and sometimes inconvenient, but sometimes funny. There is a lot of aftercare. Having a foreign body inside me forever will always be a concern, but something I will risk for better health. I am very, very pleased with my band.

[judych 225]

It seems like I'm reading an awful lot of posts about people who have not lost much, or any, weight since being banded. It feels like there aren't as many success posts as I'd expect to see. I'm starting to doubt this thing will work. So I'm wondering, would you be willing to write a really simple reply to these questions...

1. How long have you been banded?

2. How much weight did want to lose?

3. How much weight have you lost?

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

Feel free to paste the questions and just add your answers - and the shorter the better on the answers. Maybe add details below, after your 4 quick answers.

Hopefully this will help many people, not just me.

*Just to clarify, I'm not just asking for success stories, but all types of stories so we can get a fuller perspective all in one post. I REALLY want replies from people who love the band and people who hate it, and everything in between. I love the success stories and totally empathize with those who are struggling. I'm looking for a TRUE picture from people with experience they are willing to share.

well... here is my story...

firstly.. ive been banded since 22rd march 2012. just prior to banding i was 15 stone... thats 15 x 14 pounds... i was crippled with painful feet, so much swelling in my legs, arthritis in every joint i could hardly do my days work. i have two artificial knee joints.

it was the arthritis that prompted the drs to do the procedure on me. im 66. my health outlook was not good. im also hypertensive.

so i had surgery on the 23rd. within a week i had lost about 12 pounds. the swelling in my feet had completely disappeared, swelling in my legs had gone.. the pain in my feet had gone plus in other joints as well.

i had problems with gas, which lasted quite a while afterwoods but i tell you?? being able to move around, especially to walk, without being frightened of having a fall .

the gas eventually went, but it was better for me to cope with the pain of gas than the very real fear of falling or doing myself an injury.

Now im 2 months out from surgery. im eating solids now, very carefully and slowly. i had some issues with my first fill, three weeks ago. now im settled really well. my weight loss has slowed down a bit. idont mind. if you could see me now?? compared to before the surgery?? ive lost nearly 30 pounds and thats made such a difference to me. my original goal was to lose 73 pounds. im well on the way. the weight loss has slowed down quite a bit but i done mind at all. i can see by my clothes that its coming off well. it if takes me another nine months i will be happy .

there is no way i could ever have coped with doing this on my own. i have lots of days where ,even if i was motivated some of the time to diet, i wouldnt be able to diet on my own without help. i have slight depression at times. when im like this its really hard to be able to be disciplined at all. Its times like this where my band keeps me in line.

Im still having a glass of wine when i want to have one. sometimes i might have a small helping of cooked chips if i really need to. To me, thats fine. im still seeing a pound a week off my weight, even with the extra things i like to have.

Mind you... im not saying its all right to have chips... or with some people having wine of a night isnt a good idea either. but its o.k. for me right now, as im still losing the weight i want to.

Thats my story. both my husband and myself are so pleased with the results, and believe me, every single eating habit i had in the past has had to be reviewed, and pretty drastically. lol. Thats o.k. i have a faithful companion sitting there who is always on guard to let me know when im off base. lol. I appreciate it so much. i feel really positive and glad right now that i had it done. i hope everyone else's story is the same.

[melcat 18]

I've been banded for 8 months

Goal is to lose 100lbs

Have lost 63lbs

Rate the surgery 10

[NC Mama 23]

How long have I been banded - 3 months

Goal to lose - 90 lbs

Weight loss so far - 30 lbs

Rate the surgery - 10

I'm really happy with my decision. I have not needed any fills yet (but some Fluid was put in my band at surgery) and love that I can enjoy a wide variety of foods, since my band is not really tight. The band controls my hunger well and I am enjoying the slow but steady weight loss.

[muffin56 0]

1. How long have I been banded? Well in answer to that since 12/13/2010

2. How much weight did I want too lose? At that time anything to improve my health which I weighed 317.

3. As for how much have I lost well I can safely say 75 lbs. beyond that it's the same 5 lbs over and over.

4. How would I rate the band well I would say a 10 up until 6 months ago to when I plateaued. I can by all means move better and feel better. I really want to lose more. I am stuck tho and I just finished doing liquids for a week hoping that would jump start something. So far I haven't lost an ounce. But in the long run I feel better I walk a mile about 5 or 6 days a week. Which to me is awesome.when I had the band I couldn't walk 200 ft my sugar was way out of control. My a1c went from 13 to 7. My triglycerides went from over 500 to 169 cholesterol went from 423 to 208 I am by far better off then I was and I do enjoy the fact I can eat pretty much anything. chicken breast is my biggest prob cause of it being dry. Thanks for listening .

[shell1111 1]

1. How long have you been banded? 10/22/2009

2. How much weight did want to lose? 160 pounds

3. How much weight have you lost? 152 pounds

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated) 10

I have had no regrets. Being banded has given me my life back. My husband says "it's good having the old you back again".

[Missy41 19]

1. How long have you been banded?

11 months

2. How much weight did want to lose?

79 lbs.

3. How much weight have you lost?

62

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

10+

I wish I had done this years ago!

I have had 2 fills and now have 8ml in a 10 ml band.

Before the second fill I stayed the same weight for 4 months which was annoying.

Now I really feel the restriction but I still have to be very carful what I eat.

For me it is a physical tool to stop me over eating, I just have to make the right food choices, as long as i do this the weight comes of slowly but steadily. I follow a high protien diet and am never hungry and have loads of energy and do lots of exercise.

I feel fantastic and am working hard to get the last 17 pounds off!

[Baba Wawa 543]

It seems like I'm reading an awful lot of posts about people who have not lost much' date=' or any, weight since being banded. It feels like there aren't as many success posts as I'd expect to see. I'm starting to doubt this thing will work. So I'm wondering, would you be willing to write a really simple reply to these questions...

1. How long have you been banded?

2. How much weight did want to lose?

3. How much weight have you lost?

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

Feel free to paste the questions and just add your answers - and the shorter the better on the answers. Maybe add details below, after your 4 quick answers.

Hopefully this will help many people, not just me.

*Just to clarify, I'm not just asking for success stories, but all types of stories so we can get a fuller perspective all in one post. I REALLY want replies from people who love the band and people who hate it, and everything in between. I love the success stories and totally empathize with those who are struggling. I'm looking for a TRUE picture from people with experience they are willing to share.[/quote']

1. How long have you been banded? 2 years

2. How much weight did want to lose? I wanted to lose 135 lbs, my doctors felt I would lose about half that

3. How much weight have you lost? 72 lb

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated) 8...I'm satisfied with the band, my expectations were reasonable. I have maintained my loss the last year while traveling extensively and eating and drinking pretty much what I want. I do make Protein a priority, chew well and eat slowly. I am much more active than I was pre-op and my quality of life is vastly improved. I have 3.5 cc in my realize band.

[mommy2ree 0]

1. How long have you been banded? Little over 13 months (4/20/11)

2. How much weight did want to lose? 140lbs

3. How much weight have you lost? 92lbs

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated) I would have to say a 10! I was banded over gastric bypass and really wish I had been banded 12 years ago to start with. I am happy with the progress I have made and know I can lose another 50lbs.

[angbutler0712 30]

1. How long have you been banded? 6 months

2. How much weight did want to lose? I would like to get to my ideal weight, which puts me at 160. For a total of 99lbs needed to be lost

3. How much weight have you lost? 28lbs

4. How happy are you that you have been banded: scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated)

This is a tough one. I was very displeased at the beginning with how hard this process is.. But now that I've reached restriction with my band and the weight is starting to come off, I'm feeling better about it.

I would rate this one at a 7.. for now.